Gabon Blames Meta for Social Media Suspension
Last update: February 19, 2026
Disclaimer: This website may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click on the link and make a purchase. We only recommend products or services that we personally use and believe will add value to our readers. Your support is appreciated!
Government cites harmful content as platforms remain partially offline.
Gabon’s presidency has blamed Meta for failing to regulate content, justifying the government’s decision earlier this week to suspend the social media giant’s platforms, as some services remained offline on Thursday.
Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram were among the platforms blocked late on Tuesday as the government sought to manage a labour strike.
Reporters say Facebook was still down on Thursday while WhatsApp was functioning intermittently. TikTok and YouTube, which are not owned by Meta, were also affected.
The media regulator HAC cited security concerns when announcing the suspension, saying online posts were stoking conflict. The opposition condemned the move as an abuse of power.
Presidency spokeswoman Jennyfer Melodie Sambat told France’s TV5 Monde on Wednesday that Meta’s platforms had been targeted due to “defamatory publications that have been reported multiple times and which undermine social cohesion” in Gabon.
She added that Meta had opened talks with the government but had ignored repeated warnings for over a year and a half.
The suspension comes as Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema faces his first wave of social unrest less than a year after being elected. Teachers are on strike, and other civil servants have threatened to follow.
CBI News reports that Oligui seized power from former president Ali Bongo, whose family ruled Gabon for 55 years, in 2023, and won the 2025 presidential election following a two-year military-led transition.
